


Teachers & Tantrums

by pinkamour1588



Series: The Making of a Home [5]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Accidents, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Parenthood, Teaching, Temper Tantrums
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2019-09-07
Packaged: 2020-10-11 22:37:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20553815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkamour1588/pseuds/pinkamour1588
Summary: Evelyn gets to tag along to one of Jim's lectures, but toddlers and sitting still isn't a realistic combination.





	Teachers & Tantrums

**Author's Note:**

> If you're reading The Making of a Home series chronologically: This fic takes place between chapter 2 and chapter 3 of "And then there were two..."

Jim was supposed to just be home grading papers and caring for Evie that day, rather than frantically packing up a bag while on the phone with his co-instructor, Robert Fletcher. 

“Well, take care of yourself, and send over the lesson plan,” Jim sighed. Of all the diseases that could be cured or vaccinated against, apparently the common cold was not one.

“Of course. Sending it now,” Robert answered.

“Thank you.” Jim looked down at his PADD to see the lesson plan. 

After another “get well soon”, Jim hung up and reviewed the lesson plan as he called Chris then Phil to ask if they could watch Evie, only to discover they were both busy. 

“Papa,” Evie said as she walked out of the master bedroom where she’d slept half the night between Leonard and Jim after a nightmare.

Jim turned around and smiled at her. “Hey, sweetheart. You want some breakfast?”

She nodded, following him to the kitchen. He warmed up a pancake and cut up some fruit for her. Once she was settled eating her breakfast at the table, he went back to getting his things together. 

“Evie, you know what you get to do today? You get to come to work with Papa,” he said cheerfully.

“Really?” She bounced a little in her seat.

“Really. You have to be good while I’m working. Think you can do that?”

She nodded.

~

Jim was thoroughly impressed with himself that he managed to not only be on time to teach his class but a little early. He got Evie settled at his desk off to the side with a coloring book, her crayons, a snack, and her sippy cup of water before turning the chair to face him and kneeling in front of her.

“You need to be good and sit here as quietly as you can while I work. I know it’s going to feel like a really, really long time but if you’re good, we can get ice cream afterwards, alright?”

“Can I get sprinkles?” Evie asked.

“Sure, sweetheart. But you need to be good.”

She nodded.

Jim kept her occupied until the cadets began flooding in. He kissed her forehead then went to the front of the room.

~~~

Evie remained relatively well behaved through the morning lecture, only interrupting once when she really wanted to show everyone a picture she had colored. She thoroughly enjoyed getting to go to the cafeteria for lunch with Jim and ramble about whatever popped into her head. After lunch, he got her settled back at the desk as his twelve o’clock class began coming in.

~

“Papa!” Evie said, cutting Jim off in the middle of a sentence toward the end of his lecture.

“Not now, Evie,” he answered with a quick glance in her direction. 

“But, Papa…” she whined.

“Wait,” he said then went back to his lecture.

“Papa!” she complained after a couple minutes.

Jim sighed, gesturing ‘one moment’ to his students before walking over to Evie. “Evelyn, Papa’s busy.”

“But…”

“No, you need to wait.”

Her lower lip began to tremble. 

“Evelyn…”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“Want you to color.”

“I’m busy right now.”

“Want you to color.”

“Not now.”

“Yes, now!” she yelled as she started crying.

“Do you want a different toy you brought?”

“No, want you to color.”

“That’s not an option.”

“Want you to color!” 

“Evelyn Christine, do you need a time out?”

“No!” she yelled. 

He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to ignore the fact most of the cadets in the classroom were watching him. “You’re not getting ice cream if you’re not good…”

That only made it worse as she started screaming and crying. Jim knelt in front of her and waited. After a minute, she paused to catch her breath.

“Are you…” he didn’t even finish his sentence before her tantrum continued. Jim could only hope that most of the cadets had stopped watching, though he knew in the back of his mind that even more of them had probably started.

Evie’s tantrum continued for nearly ten minutes before she just looked at Jim, sobbing as she just about launched herself at him. He sighed heavily and rubbed her back wordlessly. 

Jim waited until her sobs had ended before asking, “Are you going to be good now?”

She nodded but didn’t let go. 

“I need to go back to work. We can cuddle later,” he said hoping he didn’t set off another tantrum.

“Okay,” she whimpered.

He kissed her forehead then untangled her from him and sat her back in her chair, getting her stuffed koala out of her backpack and handing it to her. Jim made sure she was settled before standing and looking around at his class. “Sorry about that. Now, where were we?” 

Barely fifteen minutes passed before Evie whined, “Papa.”

“Evelyn, it’s not later yet,” he answered as he looked over at her.

She looked down frowning. He opened his mouth to go back to his lecture as he looked back at the class, then closed his mouth and walked over to her. 

“Oh, Evie,” he sighed softly.

“Had an accident,” she mumbled.

“I can see that. C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.” He made sure her backpack was zipped up and held his hand out to her as he looked at his class. “We will be back.”

Holding her koala in one hand, Evie took his hand with her other as he picked up the backpack. He led her out of the classroom and to the nearest bathroom. Once in one of stalls, he helped her out of her soiled clothes, made sure she got cleaned up properly, and helped her into clean clothes. 

“Did you need to go potty when you threw a fit, Evie?” he asked gently as he bagged her wet clothes. 

She shook her head as she hugged her koala tightly. He guided her over to the sinks and lifted her up so she could reach and wash her hands before washing his own. Before they walked out of the bathroom, she reached up toward him.

“Use your words,” Jim answered.

“Carry me, Papa?” 

“What’s the magic word?” he prompted.

“Please.”

Jim smiled at her and picked her up. Evie wrapped one arm around the back of his neck and her legs around his waist. When they got back to the classroom, he glanced at the time and adjusted her in his arms as he went back to his lecture. Little by little he felt Evie becoming more of a dead weight as she fell asleep. He mindlessly rubbed her back as she drifted in and out of sleep. 

He didn’t notice when the door opened around twenty minutes later and someone slipped into the classroom. When the lecture wrapped up fifteen minutes later and the cadets had all filed out, Jim shifted Evie in his arms. 

“Why have I never sat in on one of your lectures?” Leonard asked, startling Jim. 

“Jesus Christ, you scared me,” Jim whispered as he turned to his husband.

“Sorry, sugar,” Leonard smiled as he walked over and gave Jim a quick kiss.

Jim untangled Evie from around him and set her on the chair at the desk. “I thought you were working till six.”

“I thought you were staying home with her today.”

“Robert’s out sick.”

“Has she been behaving herself?” 

“One interruption to show everyone something she colored, one tantrum, and then she did have an accident. Otherwise, she’s been great. But seriously, shouldn’t you be in the clinic working?”

“I got the rest of the day off. Figured I should come take the little one off your hands.”

“That would be helpful.”

“I thought so,” he smiled as he packed up her things before picking her up saying, “C’mon, let’s get you home, sleepyhead.”

“See you later, I suppose.”

“I’d certainly hope so,” Leonard chuckled before giving him another quick kiss and leaving.


End file.
